Everyone is now waiting with bated breath for the arrival of next-gen consoles, and the PS5 is arguably the most anticipated of them all. However, there might be a huge barrier for consumers to purchase the console at launch, as the price of the PS5 might be much more costly than we expected.

According to reports by Bloomberg, high production costs due to scarce components and parts for the PS5 might force Sony Interactive Entertainment to sell the next-gen console at approximately US$500 (or RM2000+).

It already costs an estimated US$450 to manufacture a single PS5, which means that the retail price for the console has to realistically be at least US$470 and above.

In comparison, the PS4 was US$399.99 (or RM1799) at launch back in 2013, while the PS3 launched at an exorbitant price of US$599 in the US back in 2007. It’s not like there’s no historical precedent for Sony putting ridiculous prices on its consoles, but Sony did sell the PS4 at a loss for the first few months (since they could always profit from game software and online subscription services later on).

They might be planning to use the same strategy with the PS5, in order to ensure better sales at launch, which would be more beneficial for the console’s sales momentum in the long run. Still, reports claim that Sony is waiting for Microsoft to announce the price of the Xbox Series X to ensure that the PS5’s price stays competitive (not too low and not too high).

The price of US$500 (or RM2000+) for a PS5 will turn away consumers who expect a similar price to the PS4. However, this probably won’t deter gamers who are already loyal to the PlayStation brand. Even if only a fraction of the 108 million PS4 owners out there buys a PS5 at launch, it will still be considered successful.

Personally, I feel like a price of US$500 (or RM2000+) would be justified, considering how beefy the specs and features of the PS5 will be (from what we know so far, which admittedly isn’t much yet).

I’m already planning to buy a PS5 at launch, and that’s because Sony has already proved themselves to be the king of consoles in the previous generation. What do you expect me to do? Buy a freaking Xbox Series X instead? Hell, no.

In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for all the latest news on the PS5, and check out all the latest updates and developments on all things PS5 to date here.